Careers, Interrupted

When universities close entire programs, professors are forced to hit reset

Sebastien Bozon, AFP, for The Chronicle

Margaret Marshall arrives at the Strasbourg train station while traveling in France. She lost her job as a French professor last year when Southeastern Louisiana U. closed two programs.

By Audrey Williams June

Most were midcareer or senior professors. Some had spent dozens
of years crafting a legacy in their departments. And then, with
little warning, the professional life they had built came to an
end.

Washington State University, like many other cash-strapped
institutions in recent years, decided to cut back. In 2009 the
university eliminated two departments and one of its
foreign-language majors. Professors were stunned. Some felt intense
pressure to chart a new career. Others simply